Obsession
Zim frowned.
It was very quiet in the Massive; almost too quiet. He merely lounged on the long red couch, one leg propped on his knee as he stared impatiently at the com screen before him.
The Tallest were in their respective quarters, asleep, like most Irkens should have been doing at this point.
Zim was not supposed to be in here; this room was for the Tallest and their control-henchmen. Zim was definitely neither.
But here he was, completely awake and glaring down the black com screen. He couldn't sleep. It was not the same.
His companion, the only person he mostly trusted, was on leave. This made it hard to fall into his much needed slumber. The absence of the warm body curled by his side unnerved him. He didn't quite understand why; he knew where his companion was.
It was just different.
Usually, Zim adapted well to change. So why wasn't he adapting now?
Zim closed his eyes, pressing the tips of his claws together in front of his lips. He frowned a little deeper in his concentration, his right antenna flicking idly. Finally he sighed and relaxed, sinking deeper into the soft cushions of his seat. His large pink eyes stared into the ceiling, his frown never once faltering.
He was very tired.
At first, he had thought the idea of having the alien as a friend was absurd. Over time, unfortunately, he found it was the only way he could obtain the intelligence he needed to gain status with his Irken Superiors.
He never thought it was possible for an Irken Elite to get attached to anything but his or her SIR unit. And even then, a SIR unit was merely a slave. He never thought the time he spent exploiting his companion's intelligence would lead to anything but a non-dependant friendship.
He had obviously thought wrong.
Zim knew he could never feel any real love for his companion; Irkens were not lovers. They didn't need to depend on each other for survival. Recently, he had felt the soft spot he held for the little prick.
He'd grown so accustomed to the kisses and embraces, to the constant companionship, to the lack of the loneliness he'd always felt. He liked the knowledge that the body next to him at night would never abandon him; it made him feel powerful. He enjoyed the idea of having almost complete control over someone.
Zim stared at the wire-covered ceiling of the room, his eyes half-lidded in an exhausted daze. His companion would arrive at the Massive in two days.
He only needed to wait for two more days.
Then, their routine would continue like normal. He would sleep properly again. He would think properly again.
Zim gently closed his eyes, dropping his thin arms into his lap. The couch was very comfortable.
As he finally began to slumber, the Irken's intense frown softened into that of an uncharacteristically innocent expression.
He was always at peace in his imagination.
